DIY projects can be fun, challenging and incredibly rewarding, but they are not a task that one should undertake lightly. There are many renovations you might be interested in around the home, but the most important thing is that they are done properly, safely, and that the results will not only be what you had hoped for, but will also last for years and even decades to come. No matter your level of experience or expertise, there are six important considerations to keep in mind before you start DIY renovation projects to ensure you and your family stay safe, and that there are no unwelcome surprises.

DIY Renovations

1. What Results Do You Want For Your DIY Home Renovation Project

There are some projects you can undergo with fairly limited planning, but home renovations are not one of them. If you want to set up a canvas and paint an abstract masterpiece, you can do so without serious ramifications (although it might not sell for very much), but when you are making major, or even minor changes to your house, plumbing, roof or garden area, planning and foresight are vital. The last thing you want is to get halfway through building a deck and realise the measurements are off.

Outline Your DIY Projects Goals

The two questions you need to ask yourself are what you want to do and why? If you don’t have a good reason for the second one, then perhaps it is not a good idea. There are many reasons to update or renovate your home, and it can be a great idea to maintain or even increase the value of your home. There are many good reasons to renovate your home which include:

  • Making income via Airbnb or granny flats
  • Modernising your home
  • Increase living space
  • Improving quality of life
  • Going green
  • Raising the house’s value

Having a clear goal is optimal, because knowing exactly what you want to do and why will give you a laser-focused on goal when it comes to planning your renovation and executing that plan. If you are planning on doing the work yourself to cut costs, keep in mind that there are always unforeseen costs and that those can be even more if you do not have the skills or know-how to properly complete the task you have set yourself. Fixing errors will add a lot of red to your budget, so keep that in mind.

2. Consulting Professionals And Council

Even if you are doing it yourself, you will want to consult professional builders and local governments in some cases. This is because you want to ensure that you are doing everything safely, properly, and that it is all legal and not against government regulations.

Checking The Development Guidelines

Do not start a DIY renovation without checking codes and standards and contacting the local council for development guidelines and regulations. This is because some areas require a development plan before homeowners can renovate their home.

Know Your Structures

Taking a sledgehammer to a wall sounds like a lot of fun, but this needs to be the last thing you do. Don’t be gung-ho with the demolition if you don’t know the structures of your house inside and out. This means knowing where the gas, plumbing and electrical cables are, what kind of insulation you have and where the cavity walls are. It is common for enthusiastic amateurs to begin the process too quickly and cause damage to the house for no reason only to have to do it all over again. To avoid making mistakes, you should always get a full structural survey to assess your home completely.

3. Assess Your Budget Realistically

You may think you are saving money by renovating (and perhaps you are), but either way, renovating will always take a big chunk out of your bank account. Equipment and material cost a lot of money, and the more you need, the more expensive it will be. Most every day people will have no idea what a big renovation like a new bathroom or a new kitchen will ultimately cost, which is why the best approach is always to get an estimate from a builder or surveyor.

By planning appropriately and painstakingly assessing your budget down to the last roll of duct tape, you will put yourself into a good position not to be surprised. It is generally accepted amongst homeowners and builders that renovations almost always cost more than you think they will, so budget with that in mind, and maybe even keep an emergency fund ready in case things do not go as planned. After all, the whole point of DIY is to try and save money, but you do not want to do so by cutting important corners. You need to figure out where you can save money without compromising the project and be prepared to be adaptable when and if the time comes.

4. Inventory Of Resources

Your budget will include an inventory of resources, tools, equipment and building materials that you will need to accomplish your project. If you start your DIY project without first making sure you have the right tools and materials, you will have to make more trips to Bunnings than you want to. Stay organised, know what you need and get started smoothly.

Tools and Equipment

The types of tools and equipment you need will differ depending on the kind of job you are doing, but there are some general tools that almost always come in handy no matter what household job you are doing. These include:

  • Measuring tape
  • Hammers
  • Screwdrivers
  • Drills
  • Saws
  • Ladders
  • Sledgehammers
  • Spirit levels and speed squares
  • Duct tape

If you aren’t a natural handyman with a big garage full of tools, that is ok. There are plenty of places that hire tools, equipment and supplies such as Kennards Hire.

However, specific jobs require specific tools. For instance, a DIY bathroom renovation would require a caulking gun, silicone sealant and a spackle knife for waterproofing , while a DIY kitchen installation would require drills, saws, planers and dust extractor or vacuum.

Materials

Unlike tools, materials are specific to the job at hand. For instance, in the above examples, renovating a bathroom would require enough tiles to cover the floor correctly, the correct sealant and adhesives, as well as the correct pipes. A DIY kitchen job might require timber, marble countertops, vinyl flooring, plastic laminate, flat paint and cabinet fronts.

5. Have A Clear Design In Mind

This is similar to point one, but with an important distinction: designs and goals are different beasts. There’s more than one way to bake a cake, and you need to know which metaphorical cake you want to make and how you want it to turn out.  This means that it is essential to have a clear design in mind so you know not only what you need, but when you are reaching the end of the project and if it is going to plan.

Having a plan and creating a clear design idea from the get go will make the structural changes and new paint in your home even easier to decide on. Design plans will keep you, your builders, helpers and others focused on what is important and not get sidetracked on what is not important.

6. DIY Project Clean Up

This is a big one. Renovations are majorly messy! If you are a rookie, you cannot even begin to imagine the sheer amount of brick, tile and drywall a renovation goes through, not to mention the usual grime, dirt and miscellaneous rubbish that accumulates throughout the work. This goes into the planning part of your renovation: knowing that there will be a bunch of stuff to get rid of at the end of it all (or during, if you’re smart).

Of course, you could hire a trailer and do multiple tip runs, or let it sit out the front and get rid of it via the weekly garbage track in little bits, but the best solution is to hire a renovation clean up team to assist with the waste. You have already done all the work, there is no reason to have to break your back getting rid of all the mess too, especially when there are cheap, reliable and professional rubbish removal specialists who can get rid of it all quickly, efficiently and sustainably.